TV Repair Tips (part 3)

REQUESTING SERVICE
When you request service from your carefully selected company:

(1) First, make sure that the unit is really not working. You will most likely have to pay for the service whether it is, or not. (This is especially true if it's in warranty, since "no trouble" or "adjustment" calls are not normally covered.) Check your plugs and other external sources.

(2) Ask if the company has experience with, and access to, parts for your particular equipment.

(3) If in warranty, or covered by a service contract, gather and have ready all necessary papers to substantiate place of purchase, purchase date, model and serial numbers, and warranty coverages.

(4) If not covered or not fully covered by a warranty, ask about basic and normally anticipated service fees, and what services the fees cover for either in-home or carry-in. It is always best to GET IT IN WRITING.

(5) Ask if "estimates" or "range of repair prices" are quoted before you are obligated for major repair expenses.

(6) Ask about the extent of the service company's guarantees on services performed and parts installed.

(7) Determine the maximum amount you will have to pay for service. If it's for home service, how much is the service call fee? How much time and what other services are included? What other fees could you be charged (mileage, etc.)?

(8) Inquire in advance about anticipated use of payment options such as checks and debit or credit cards.

(9) When you make contact with the receptionist, manager or technician, request visual documentation (wall certificates or wallet I.D. cards) to verify claims of currently valid trade association memberships, factory authorizations, and employment of ISCET-Certified Electronics Technicians.

TAKING IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER
If your unit is portable, your warranty may require you to take it to the service center. If not in warranty, the repair would generally be less expensive if you carried it in yourself.

If the unit is not easily transportable, the technician who checks your unit in the home may still need to carry it to the service center for repair. Even when you take it to the business, if a preliminary check is not feasible or does not reveal the source of the problem, the unit will have to kept for awhile to determine the source of the problem.

That's because much of today's complex circuitry requires an extensive array of modern, bulky, and sensitive testing equipment. Much of this cannot be economically transported. If you are dealing with a reputable company, you can usually trust the technician who tells you it will "have to go to the shop."

Still, there are certain steps you should take at this point: (1) Ask the maximum fee you must pay if you decide not to complete the repairs due to prohibitive costs (get it in writing.)

(2) Ask about normally anticipated time periods to get to and initially check your unit; and to complete repairs if the problems are (a) minor or (b) major.

(3) Get a receipt for your unit with the following information: (a) Your product's make, model, and serial number; (b) The name, address, and telephone number of the store. Does it match the name on the store, the vehicle, and the invoice or receipt? (c) The name and signature of the person accepting the unit; (d) The kind of trouble the unit is having; (e) If it is covered by a warranty or service contract, to what extent.

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